For dog and cat owners, there are few things more worrisome than the start of tick season. Ticks are nasty little bloodsucking insects that attach themselves to dogs, cats, humans, and anything else they can get a hold of. Once they’re attached, ticks bite into their victims and suck blood from them, similar to leeches or mosquitos. The difference, however, is that ticks can stay attached to their host for days or even weeks at a time.
The main reason that ticks are dangerous to dogs and cats is because of the diseases they can impart. Ticks have been known to cause Lyme disease, tick paralysis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and many more. Because of the many deadly diseases that ticks can cause, properly preparing for tick season is a big deal for dog and cat owners. This is especially true in Texas, where tick season runs for much of the year thanks to the moderate temperatures.
- What is Tick Prevention and Why is It so Important?
- How do Tick Treatments Work on Dogs and Cats?
- Different Types of Tick Control Products
- How do You Keep Ticks Off Dogs and Cats? Tips and Tricks
What is Tick Prevention, and Why is It so Important?
As the name indicates, tick prevention refers to the necessary measures you must go to protect your dog or cat from ticks. It can include anything from manually inspecting your pet for ticks to investing in a pet medication that's designed to keep ticks away from your dog or cat. Tick prevention is a very broad term, but it essentially refers to anything you do to protect your pets from harmful ticks.
Why is Tick Prevention Important?
If you have a soft spot in your heart for your dog or cat, tick prevention is extremely important. It’s estimated that 500 dogs die from tick paralysis alone each year, not to mention the hundreds or thousands of others that die from other tick-related illnesses. It’s unknown how many cats perish each year from the same ailments, but the numbers are likely similar, if not higher.
Taking care of a pet that’s afflicted with a tick-related illness is also extremely expensive. They’ll require ongoing vet visits, medications, treatments, and more, which will add up quickly. While the rewards and benefits that GoodCharlie offers will make a dent in your vet bills, it likely won’t be enough to cover everything depending on the disease.
How do Tick Treatments Work on Dogs and Cats?
While there are many different types of tick treatments for dogs and cats, many of them work in one of two ways.
Acts as a Deterrent
The first type of tick prevention treatment is the deterrent. Tick deterrents are like putting bug spray on yourself before you head into the woods. It won’t actually kill ticks when they land on your pet, but it will serve as a deterrent to keep them away.
Acts as a Poison
The second and most common type of tick prevention treatment is one that acts as a poison and kills ticks after they land on your pet. These types of tick preventions are available in pill, lotion, shampoo, powder, spray, or even collar form. Essentially, this type of treatment will secrete a chemical into your dog's or cat's sebaceous glands that are harmless to them but deadly to ticks.
Once a tick lands on your pet and attempts to suck its blood, it will die and fall away from your pet. Because ticks have to be able to feed on a host continuously for at least a day to release any potential diseases, they die before they’re able to.
Different Types of Tick Control Products
Once again, there are a number of different tick prevention treatments, but they can all get placed into three main categories.
Oral Medications
Oral medications are the most common form of tick prevention because of their effectiveness and easy application. Oral medication usually comes in pill or gummy form and requires a veterinarian's prescription.
Oral medications work by secreting a chemical into your pet's blood that the tick will ingest when they bite into them. Because the tick has to bite them first, your pet could potentially have a slight skin infection or itchiness. However, the tick will die before it can release a deadly disease into them. Nexguard and Brevecto are two of the most common oral medications for tick prevention in dogs and cats.
Topical Applications
Another good option for tick prevention is using a topical application. Topical applications can include lotions, oils, shampoos, powders, or sprays, but they often work the same way. In order for topical applications to be effective, you must rub them manually into and along your pet's fur.
However, the advantage of topical applications is that they kill ticks on contact. They’re also very fast-acting, which means that ticks often don’t have time to bite your pet before their demise. Topical applications have to get reapplied fairly regularly, which means they take more time than oral medications. However, if you want ticks to die the second they land on your dog or cat, they’re your best option.
Collars
Collars are one of the most convenient tick prevention and treatment options on the market. They go around your dog or cat's neck, just as a typical collar, but they have special coatings that work to deter and kill ticks. Depending on the type of tick collar you have, ticks will have to bite your dog for the tick to perish. However, other tick collars have gases that deter ticks from landing on them in the first place and that kill them when they do.
How do You Keep Ticks Off Dogs and Cats? Tips and Tricks
In addition to different medications and treatments, there are also everyday things you can do to protect your dogs and cats from ticks.
Check their bodies regularly if you take your pets outside or live near a wooded or grassy area.
- Consider giving your pet a short haircut during the summer months so that ticks will be easier to find.
- Tick-proof your property by hiring a bug-spraying company to treat your yard with tick repellent.
- Try to keep your grass cut short and your property free of debris and branches.
- Choose one or more of the above forms of medication or tick treatment to give your pets the best chance at staying tick free.
As long as you take care of your pets, check them regularly, and invest in a form of tick prevention treatment, you’ll be able to enjoy tick season without fear.
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